March 2017 Newsletter

A round up of news and views

Meeting with our MP to press for environmental protections - are you concerned that EU environmental legislation could be weakened or lost once the UK is outside the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice? Sustainable Devizes are planning to meet with Claire Perry M.P. within the next few weeks, to seek reassurances regarding the potential threat to environmental laws now that Article 50 has been triggered. They have invited both PEAT and TM to join in this discussion, as they feel that a combined effort might be more effective - please get in touch via sampage_zim@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to be included in this delegation or to receive more information about the proposed meeting.

This year's Permaculture Course - began on 18th March at Judy and Rich's house. We were delighted to welcome 6 new participants. We discussed the 3 ethics and 12 principles that underpin permaculture and how agroecology and permaculture are being promoted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and are part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which the UK Government has signed up to. We also watched videos featuring a Californian permaculture community with the late Bill Mollison and a forest garden in Hampshire. We then had a guided tour of Judy and Rich's renewable energy and water conservation systems, as well as scoffing Judy's delicious chocolate brownies and most of an organic sultana cake!

Raising Funds for Future Farms - Did you know that the average age of a UK farmer is 59 years? It is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to access land for farming, because the cost of land and rural housing is so high. Meanwhile the modern farmer faces increasing pressures from a globalised market, especially without the protection of EU subsidies. There are far more sustainable ways of farming without relying on agrochemicals and fossil fuels: The Ecological Land Cooperative is raising funds to enable young farmers, with a realistic chance of success, to get smallholdings. They have just launched a second share offer which aims to raise between £12,000 and £340,000 to buy two new clusters of small farms, via Ethex (an ethical investment company). Investors are offered 3% in interest on share capital annually. Find out more here...

Taking care of our bees - The Permaculture Group have been planning ways of getting local gardeners, farmers and environmental groups involved in our 'bee foraging corridor' project. Now is the time to plant bee-friendly flowers and to leave some wild places in your garden where bumble bees can nest, when mowing the lawn. You can find out more ways of making your garden attractive to bees and other pollinators and download a list of bee-friendly flowers and shrubs, plus the Bumblebee Conservationist Trust's guide to garden bumblebees, by clicking here... If you would like to add your garden to the bee foraging map, please write to permaculture@transitionmarlborough.org

Thanks

The Transition Marlborough team